Horseshoes is an outdoor game played between two people (or two teams of two people) using four horseshoes and two stakes. The game is played by the players alternating turns tossing horseshoes at stakes in the ground that are positioned at a pre-determined distance apart, traditionally 40 feet apart. Modern games use a more stylized U-shaped bar, about twice the size of an actual horseshoe.
In some installations, U-shaped boxes or frames extend around the stake forming a pit, or court. In some installations, clay or sand surround the stake to prevent holes or divots in the area around the stakes.
The National Horseshoe Pitchers Association of America (NHPA) is the recognized governing body of the official sport of horseshoe pitching and maintains an up-to-date set of rules, which include guidelines and specifications for the game. The NHPA rules are widely accepted as being the official way to play the game, although it should be recognized that the NHPA rules are not always followed and are sometimes modified, as well as players making their own rules known as “house rules”.
According to the NHPA, specifications for a horseshoe game include positioning stakes 40 feet apart. The stakes, one inch (1″) in diameter, are placed such that fourteen inches (14″) remain above the floor and are positioned at an angle of about twelve degrees (12°) so each leans toward the opposite stake. The maximum pit dimensions are thirty six inches (36″) by seventy two inches (72″), although the pit dimensions may be reduced to as little as thirty one inches (31″) by forty three inches (43″), most likely to minimize the amount of pit fill material to maintain. Pit fill material typically includes clay or sand.
The horseshoe weight is typically not more than two pounds, ten ounces and cannot exceed seven and one-quarter inches (7¼″) in width or seven and five-eighths inches (7⅝″) in length. The opening of the shoe must not exceed three and one-half inches (3½″).
There are portable horseshoe pits, such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,314,702 that have an attachable stake, and some provide artificial surfaces such as rubber while others, such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,273,340, have provided flexible support springs, while others, such as U.S. Pat. No. 3,547,442 provide a mat centered between side walls and a stake projecting through the center of the mat with the lower end of the stake being fastened to a support, which lies beneath the mat.
While the prior art inventions have proved somewhat satisfactory, there are disadvantages that are overcome by the present invention, such as quickly and easily assembling the system, and a compact configuration when not in use for ease of traveling.
A demand therefore exists for a system and methods, embodiments of the apparatus of which are formed from lightweight, easy to transport components that can be quickly joined together without the need for tools and, when fully assembled, provide a stable system for play of a game of horseshoes. The present invention satisfies the demand.